Mechanical coin changer



June 22, 1943, J. E. .I- IAGSTROM 2,322,234

MECHANICAL COIN CHANGER I .Eiled 001;. 2, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Jase ab Efiays/rom TTOHNEY.

June 1943- J. E. HAGSTROM 2,322,234

" MECHANICAL com CHANGER Filed Oct. 2, 1940 4 shuts-sheet 2 0 a INVENTOR. Z 1 9. 4. Jase pk .5 f/dysf/vm BY A,"

@ETTOHNEY.

June 22, 1943 J. E HAGSTROM- MECHANICAL COIN CHANGER 4 sheets -sheet 3 Filed Oct. 2, .1940

June 22, 1943- J. E. HAGSTROM v MECHANICAL COIN CHANGER Filed Def. 2, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Patented June 22, 1943 MECHANICAL COIN CHANGER Joseph E. Hagstroni, Kansas City, Mo, assignor to C. Earl Hovey, trustee, Kansas City, Mo.

Application October 2, 1940, Serial No. 359,365

16 Claims This invention relates to mechanical "coin changers of the type employing coin controlled means for manually manipulating the parts thereof after the coin to be changed has been dropped into the machine, and the primary aim is to provide such equipment wherein coins of like denominations are carried in a random condition in a specially designed hopper, from which the same are transferred and disposed in order for ejecting the proper numberthereof.

This invention has for one of its important aims the provision of a coin changer of the aforementioned character wherein is provided unique, novel and efficient mechanism for arranging coins in edge-to-edge positions in a relatively narrow feed chamber and allin a common plane, after said coins have be'en'dumped into the hopper of the machine in a random condition and without regard to their'relative positions.

A yet further aim of this invention is to provide a coin changer capable of receiving a coin of either one or two denominations and upon manual manipulation of the ejecting means, delivering the proper change 'for'thecoin inserted, all through the employment of rugged, inexpensive and compact apparatus. 2

More specifically, it is one of the prime objects of the instant invention to produce a mechanical coin changer capable of quickly and positively ejecting therefrom, two nickels when a di me has been inserted, and five nickels when a quarter has been introduced into the machine.

A yet further object ofthis invention is the provision of coin handling equipment of the aforesaid type havingmanually controlled coin the end that different numbers of coins are.

ejected from the machine when the second mentioned element travels through its paths of different length. a

A still further object of this invention is to provide a coin changer with. coin controlled means for rejectingfslugs or. the like, which coin controlled means are of conventional character but cooperate with the unique parts embodying this invention, in a manner to insure the owner of the machine-against lossr Because a mechanical coin changing machine that serves the public must be inconspicuous, compact easy to operate and speedy in its function, this invention contemplates the employment of speciall formed parts, all of which cooperate to fulfill such specification. Minor cbjects of theinvention therefore, will become apparent when the manner of building a coin changer in accordance with the. broader concepts of the invention is understood. 2

One embodiment of th invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings", wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View of a mechanical coin changer made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sectional view through the same taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the rear wall view of the lower coin car- View of the rear face of the arcuate rack and some of the parts associated therewith.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the parts detailed inFig.9;and

Fig. 11 is a detailed vertical sectional View taken on line XI -XI of Fig. 5. v The case appropriately formed to ,house all of the parts of the coin changer, has, aremovable cover l2 having a hole M in the front wall thereof, in communication with a delivery stall I6.

A rear wall 18 has a peripheral flange 29 formed thereon and carries partition 22 in spaced relation with the inner face thereof toestablish a feed chamber, generally designated by the numeral 24. This feed chamber has an upper portion behind the reciprocable slide. 60 that is in communication with alower portion in the form of a continuous coin passage 28 extending from the upper portion to window 3i] where the coins 'fall into delivery stall l6.

A deflector 32 extending outwardly through window into delivery stall I5, insures effective escape of coins 34. Coin passage 28 is established by the use of filler strips 36 fastened directly to the inner side of wall It, as'illustrated in Fig. 3. These filler strips 36 ar arranged to form a coin passage 28 that has a vertical stretch 38, an offset inclined stretch and another inclined section 42.

A retaining finger 44 at the zone of juncture between inclined stretch 4U .andinclined section 52,,is pivoted to wall l8 by screw 46 and yieldably held by spring 48 where coins 34 will not move into inclined section 42 for passage outwardly through window 30 until reciprocating ejector element 50 forces coins 34 past the end of finger 44. Ejector element 50 is operated by connection to parts hereinafter to ,be described.

Partition 2 2 is inclined upwardly and forward- 1y near the top of wall I8 forming a part of the case, to establish a coin hopper 52, the ends of which are closed by sheets of material forming walls 54, each flanged as at 56 for attachment to spacers 58 on wal1 I8. Hopper 52 merges with the relatively wide upper portion of feed chamber 24, the cross sectional dimension of which is great enough to receive slide 60 and coins 34. Slide 60 has an inclined or beveled upper edge 62 for the purpose of tipping th coins toward the space between wall I8 and its inner surface.

Slide 60 moves to and from the position shown in Fig. and in so doing, agitates and collects the coins from within hopper 52 and moves the same to a place between its inner face and wall I8 where they rest upon rockable floor member 64 pivotedintermediate its ends as at 66, directly to slide 60. The outer faces of spacers 58 and the vertical filler strip 36 along one side of vertical stretch 38, forming a part of coin passage 28, are in the same plane as the outer face of slide 60, to the end that the said outer face of slide 60 will ride against the innerface of partition 22 along the relatively wide part of coin passage 28. I

On the back side of slide 60 and between wall I8 and said side, is disposed a boss 68 and a pivoted strip having a lateral leg 12. A spring 14 yieldably urges strip I0 to the position shown in Fig. 3. Another spring I6 mounted on boss 68 yieldably maintains one end of'rockable floor member 64 against shoulder IS. A stop 80 riveted to the back of slide 60 serves as a part to limit the movement of both member 64" and strip I0. through gap 82 when slide 60 is at the lower end of its vertical path of travel. I

A coin chute 84 of special design, permits the use of two slug rejectors 86 and 08 of well-known design. These rejectors insure that only genuine coins (in this instance, a dime'and'a'quarter), will pass to the'hereinafter described manually operable coin controlled means for dispensing the correct number of coins 34.

A swingable frame 90 forms a part of such rejectors 86 and 88 and to adapt two of such elements to this machine, simultaneous operation of frame 90 is procured'by joining together the operating mechanism for'frame 90 through themedium of a yoke 92.' Wir 94 joins yoke 92 with one endof beam 96, the other end of which is inclined downwardly and outwardly from a pivotal connection 98 and into the path of travel of walls I00and I02 on upper and lower plates I04 and I06 respectively. This beam 96, as well as the other parts of the mechanism, is supported by frame I08 secured either to partition 22 or end walls 54.

Part of frame I08 journals drive shaft I I0 disposed transversely and maintained in a set position by spring I I2, one end of which is secured to shaft III], whil the other end thereof bears against apart of frame I08. This conventional construction insures that shaft IIO will be retrieved to cause the associated parts to remain in a set condition.

A segmental plate in the nature of an arcuate rack I I4,'is mounted upon the inner end of shaft IIO. Teeth II6 on rack II4 engage dog IE8 piv otally mounted upon frame I08 and inclined in the normal position by spring III. The interrelation of dog H8 and teeth H6 is well-known to be that of precluding return of rack II4 to a point'of beginning after it has-once been moved far enough to engage dog II 8. When rack II 4 Lateral leg I2 enters coin passage 28 n has been carried completely to the end of its path of travel, dog I I8 will have passed teeth I I6 and the return action is permitted. Thus, all

' of the parts operated by rack II4 are protected against accidental movement in' a rearward direction after the operation has been started.

A stop I engages the edges of rack II4 to limit the action of spring I I2 and to limit the movement imparted thereto by the operator. Such movement is established through the medium of an operating handle I22 journalled in cover I2 and provided with an arm I24 that carries pin I26 to engage a notch I28 in arm I30 pinned to shaft IIO. Stops I32 on cover I2 limit the movement of arm I24 to substantially 180 arc. Through such arrangement of parts, cover I2 may be moved to and from its place over the mechanism. Obviously any manually operable structure for turning shaft I I 0 may be employed.

Rack II4 has one end of link I34 pivotally attached thereto to one side of its axis of rotation as at I36, while the other end of said link is fastened to slide 60 by shouldered machine-screw or the like I31 that passes through opening I38 provided through partition 22 for the purpose. A connecting arm I40 is likewise operated by rack II4. Arm I40 has one end pivotally attached to rack II4 by element I42, while the other end thereof is pivotally secured to wall I 02 of lower carrying plate I06 in a manner illustrated in detail in Fig. 8. Thus, as will be more .fully hereinafter set down, oscillation of rack II4 about its axis by shaft IIO will reciprocate both slide 60 and plate I06 through paths of travel of established lengths.

Upper coin carrying plate I04 is in superimposed relation with respect to lower plate I06. A connecting arm I44 is pivotally connected to plate I04'by bolt I46 at its one end, and pivotally joined to bar I48 at its other end. The point of connection on bar I 48 between arm I44 and said bar is intermediate the ends of the latter for the purpose of swinging the bar-about a pivot pin I50. Bar I48 is slotted at the end opposite to pin I50 and this slot I52 receives a pintle I54 on the ejector element 50. This pintle I54 enters hole I56, shown clearly in Fig. 3.

Lower coin carrying plate I06 has a slot I58 and a relatively long slot I60 formed therethrough in register with slots I62 and I64 respectively of plate I04. Plate I04 has skirts I66 and I68 thereon around at least a part of slots I62 and I64 respectively, while plate I06 has like skirts I10 and I72 around its slots I58 and I60 respectively. As illustrated in Fig.5, the lowermost edges of skirts I10 and H2 ride along the surface of a specially formed track I'I4 which slidably carries both plates I04 and I06. This track extends over the open top of a coin box I'I6 which receives the coin introduced into the machine by the operator as the change therefor, in the form of the correct number of coins 34, is delivered into stall I6. An opening I18 through the bottom of track I'I4 allows the coin being changed to drop into box I16.

The coin I80, illustrated in Fig. 6, is a quarter, while the coin I82, shown in Fig. 11, is a dimethe latter being in slots I60 and I64, while the former is in slots I58 and I62. Ear I84 on connecting arm I40 engages retaining finger 44 after a certain number of coins have been fed from inclined stretch 40 by ejector'element 50, in a way more definitely set down in the description of the operation of the machine.

Dog I86 mounted on a part of frame I08 lies in the path of travel of wall I02 of lower plate I06. When this wall I02 strikes dog I86 to one side of its pivotal connection I88, the end thereof opposite to pivotal connection I88, is moved inwardly into the path of travel of wall I of plate I04 to preclude further travel. Spring I90 yieldably maintains dog I06 in the normal position against stop I02, shown in Fig. 10.

The means provided for barring the introduction of a coin to be changed when there is an insuflicient number of coins 34 to make the change, comprises a gate I04 pivotally-mounted to the upper part of coin chute 04 as at I96. This gate has laterally extending head I 03 and an inclined laterally projecting wall 200. Head and wall I98 and 200 respectively, enter coin chute 84 through openings provided in the side thereof for the purpose and only one of said parts (I08 or 200) may be in the path of travel of a coin entering chute 84 at a time.

Spring 2412 yieldably holds gate I04 in a position where either head I90 or wall 200 is in a position within coin chute 84. A rod 204 reciprocably journalled in bearing 206 has one end close to gate I94 at its lower end. The other end of rod 204 is fastened to one end of rocker 208 pivotally mounted as at 2I0 to the underside of that part of partition 22 forming hopper 52. The other end of rocker 208 engages wire 2I2 slidably journalled in lug 2I4 and circumscribed of a vertical path of travel. This finger extends into feed chamber 24 to be engaged by strip 10 so long as leg I2 thereof strikes a coin 34 in coin passage 28 when slide 60 is at the lower end of its path of travel. Thus, if there is sufficient number of coins 34 in the inclined stretch 40 of coin passage 28, the striking of finger 220 by strip 10 will operate parts 2'I2, 203 and 204 to push the lower end of gate I94 to the position shown in Fig. Either a coin I80 or I02 may then thereafter be inserted to be changed. on the other hand, if there is no coin 34 below gap 82' to engage leg I2 and position strip I0 to strike finger 220, gate I94 will remain in a position where head I98 thereof is barring the entrance of a coin into chute 84.

As a coin passes inclined wall 200, head I08 is forced into coin chute 64' there to remain until released, as just described. Coin chute 04 is specially made to receive for direction, either a quarter or a dime to slug rejectors 06 and 06 respectively.

Inturned flanges 222 at the zone ofjuncture between branch 224 of coin chute 84 and that part extending to rejector 06, have their proximal free edges a distance apart greater than the diameter of the dime I82. Thus, through the action of gravity the dime will drop between flanges 222 and into rejector 88. A quarter will engage flanges 222 and be diverted into rejector 06. If a slug should be dropped into the machine, it will be held in rejectors 66 or 00, as the case may be, until frame 90 is operated to drop the same through conduit 225 that extends from a point below both rejectors 66 and 88 to stall I6.

The operation of frame 90 occurs when operating handle I22 is turned to move lower plate I06 to the position shown in dotted lines of either Figs. 6 or 11. When in such position, the inclined edge of beam 96 will be struck by wall I02 and yoke 92 will be drawn down by wire 94 to operate the aforesaid conventional parts of the rejector, inclining frame 90 to release the slug that has been held against entrance into the slots of the plates by the rejector parts.

Assuming now that hopper '52 is filled with nickels 34 and thatthere is a continuous supply of said nickels in coin passage 28 extending from finger 44 around to that space in feed chamber 24 above floor member 64. The operator desires two nickels for a dime and proceeds to introduce the dime intocoin chute 84, thereby moving gate I04, as above mentioned.

The dime passes through rejector 08 and is dropped into registering slots I60 and I64 in plates I06 and I04 respectively (see Fig. 11). Operating handle I22 is now turned to draw lower plate I06 toward the position shown in dotted lines of the said figure, through the medium of arm I40 operatively attached to rack II4 on shaft I I0 that is being rotated by handle I22. After plate I06 has carried dime I82 to a point where it strikes the end of slot I64 in upper plate I04, movement of this plate I04 is started todraw ejector element 50 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3. Such movement is imparted to ejector 50 through the medium of arm I44, and bar I46. Movement of the mechanism to a place where it is arrested by stop I20 brings dime I02 over coin box I16 and causes ejector 50 to force two nickels 34 into inclined section 42 and past retaining finger 44. The two nickels travel through window and into delivery stall I6. The force imparted to the string of nickels 34 in inclined stretch by ejector is sufficient to flex spring 43, but after two nickels have been so fed, ear I04 will move to a position behind finger 44 to preclude its permitting the passage of additional nickels to section 42. Releasing handle I22 will permit dime I82 to drop into coin box H6 and spring H2 will return all of the parts to the normal point of beginning. The manner in which dog IIB precludes accidental return to a point of beginning has heretofore been made clear. Likewise the manner in which strip I0 actuates gate I04 to set the same in the condition illustrated in Fig. 5, has been described.

\Vhen lower plate I06 has reached the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11, dog I86 will be moved to position one end thereof in front of wall I00 of upper coin carrying plate, to insure that said plate will not move beyond that position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 11.

Assuming that there is a sufficient supply of nickels 34 to change a quarter, which will always be the case if finger I2 has engaged a nickel below gap 02, a quarter may now be introduced into the changer. The quarter will drop through rejector 86 and into the position shown in Fig. 6 where it is within registered slots I50 and I62 of plates I06 and I04 respectively. Manipulation of handle I22 to move lower plate I06 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 6, will move quarter i against the end of slot I62 whereupon both lower and upper plates I06 and I04 will be moved toward the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 6. So moving upper plate I04 will, as before mentioned, move ejector element 50 to the left, as seen in Fig. 3, a distance sufiicient to force five nickels 34 into the inclined section 42 of coin passage 28. When said number of nickels has been allowed to fall by gravity into delivery stall I6, retaining finger 44 will be held against movement to a place where additional coins may escape from inclined stretch 40 by ear I84assuming the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 6. When the operator releases his hold upon handle I22, quarter I8 will drop into coin box I16 and the parts will be returned to the normal position at their points of beginning by spring H2.

Each time nickels are fed by the introduction of coins, as just described, slide 60 will be re ciprocated because of its connection with arcuate rack H4 by way of link [34. As slide 60 is reciprocated, the nickels will be moved into feed chamber 24 and arranged in edge-to-edge relation in a common plane with rockable floor member 64. When in the normal position, said member 54 will be inclined-as seen in Fig. 3, to maintain coin passage 28 always completely filled with nickels 34. When supplying the machine with nickels, hopper 52 may be filled with the same by merely dumping a quantity thereinto at random without regard to their relation to each other nor any order. It has been found by actually operating a machine made precisely as illustrated, that the nickels will enter feed chamber 24 without jamming and maintain a constant supply of coins 34 in the entire stretch of coin passage 28.

Equipment as disclosed hereby is particularly useful in locations where change is needed to operate vending machines, parking meters, turnstiles, and other coin controlled apparatus, and where it is possible to provide an inexpensive, durable and efiicient mechanical changer, it is commercially practicable to use a large number thereof to stimulate sales or the operation of the aforesaid coin controlled equipment.

The illustrated embodiment of this invention exemplifies but one way of making a mechanical coin changer to embody the concepts of this invention, and it is obvious that one skilled in the art may deviate from details in construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mechanical coin changer of the character described, a case having a narrow vertical feed chamber formed to hold coins in edgeto-edge relation and in the same plane; a hopper for coins to be dispensed, said coins when in the hopper being in random condition; coin controlled means for ejecting coins from the feed chamber; and apparatus for transferring coins from the hopper to said feed chamber and simultaneously arranging the transferred coins in said edge-to-edge relation, said feed chamber being in a vertical plane and provided with a rockable floor movable by the ejecting means for rolling th coins from one portion of the feed chamber to another portion thereof, said ejecting means including an element for forcing a given number of coins from said last mentioned portion thereof.

2. In a mechanical coin changer of the character described, a case having a narrow vertical feed chamber formed to hold coins in edgeto-edge relation and in the same plane; a hopper for coins to be dispensed, said coins when in the hopper being in random condition; coin controlled means for ejecting coins from the feed chamber; and apparatus for transferring coins from the hopper to said feed chamber and simultaneously arranging the transferred coins to said edge-to-edge relation, said feed chamber being in a vertical plane and provided with a rockable floor movable by the ejecting means for rolling th coins from one portion of the feed chamber to another portion thereof, said ejecting means including an element for forcing a given number of coins from said last mentioned portion thereof, said element being operated by the said ejecting means.

3. In a mechanical coin changer of the character described, a case having a narrow vertical feed chamber formed to hold coins in edgeto-edge relation and in the same plane; a hopper for coins to be dispensed, said coins when in the hopper being in random condition; coin controlled means for ejecting coins from the feed chamber; and apparatus for transferring coins from the hopper to said feed chamber and simultaneously arranging the transferred coins in said edge-to-edge relation, said feed chamber being in a vertical plane and provided with a rockable floor movable by the ejecting means for rolling the coins from one portion of the feed chamber to another portion thereof, said ejecting means including an element for forcing a given number of coins from said last mentioned portion thereof, said element being operated by the said ejecting means, the number of coins forced from the last mentioned portion of the feed chamber being governed by the denomination of the coin introduced into the coin controlled means.

4. In a mechanical coin changer of the character described, a case having a feed chamber formed therein; a hopper for coins to be dispensed; a vertical reciprocable slide in spaced relation to one side of the feed chamber; a rockable floor member on the slide between the slide and said side of the feed chamber; means for reciprocating the slide as the machine is operated; and means for tilting the floor member to move th coins along the feed chamber when the slide is at one end of its path of travel.

5. In a mechanical coin changer of the character described, a case having a feed chamber formed therein; a hopper for coins to be dispensed; coin controlled means for ejecting coins from the feed chamber; a vertical reciprocable slide in spaced relation to one side of the feed chamber; a rockable floor member on the slide between the slide and said side of the feed chamber; means for reciprocating the slide as the coins are ejected from the feed chamber; and means for tilting the floor member to move the coins along the feed chamber when the slide is at one end of its path of travel, there being a gate movable to a position precluding the introduction of a coin to the coin controlled means by a part of said slide when coins are not occupying a part of the said feed chamber.

6. In a mechanical coin changer of th character described, a case having a feed chamber and a coin passage formed therein; a hopper for coins to be dispensed, said coins when in the hopper being in a random condition; coin controlled means for ejecting coins from the coin passage; and means for arranging the coins being dispensed in edge-to-edge, vertical positions in a common plane and transferring the same from the hopper to the feed chamber and said coin passage, said means for ejecting the coins from said coin passage'having an element movable to force a predetermined number of coins from the said passage, ther being a retaining finger for precluding the discharge of more than said predetermined number of coins from the passage after the said number of coins has been ejected.

7. In a mechanical coin changer of the character described having a coin passage for the coins being dispensed and a coin chute to receive the coins to be changed, a gate movable to and from a position closing the coin chute, a finger in the coin passage provided with connections to the gate for moving the same upon actuation of the finger, and means for actuating the finger to close the gate when less than a predetermined number of coins are in the coin passage.

8. In a mechanical coin changer of the character described, a case having a coin passage formed therein arranged to hold a string of coins in edge-to-edge relation in a common plane, said coin passage having a length thereof designed to hold a predetermined number of coins equal in total value to the coin to be changed; an ejector element movable longitudinally throughout said length of the coin passage for forcing the coins from the said length of the coin passage; and means rendered operative by the introduction into the coin chute of the coin to be changed for moving the ejector element.

9. In a mechanical coin changer of the character described, a case having a coin passage formed therein arranged to hold a string of coins in edge-to-edge relation in a common plane, said coin passage having a length thereof designed to hold a predetermined number of coins equal in total value to the coin to be changed; an ejector element for forcing the coins from the said length of the coin passage; and means rendered operative by the introduction into the coin chute of the coin to be changed for moving the ejector element, said ejector element being disposed across the coin passage to isolate the remaining portion of the coin passage as the coins are being forced from the said length thereof.

10.. In a coin changer of the character described, a case having a coin passage formed therein; an operating handle; a coin ejector; and means interconnecting the handle and said ejector for moving the same in a direction to force coins from the passage, said interconnecting means including at least two reciprocable superimposed slotted plates for the reception of coins of different denominations to be changed, one of said plates being connected to said handle, the other of said plates being joined to said ejector, the slots of said plates being in register and longer than the diameter of the largest coin to be changed, the length of the path of travel of the plate joined to said ejector being governed by the diameter of the coin received in the registered slots of the plates whereby the number of coins forced from the coin passage is controlled by the diameter of the coin to be changed.

11. In a coin changer of the character described, a case having a coin passage formed therein; an operating handle; a coin ejector; and means interconnecting the handle and said ejector, said coin passage being arranged to hold the coins in grouped, tandem, aligned relation in a common plane, said ejector being disposed to force a number of said coins from the end Of the aligned group thereof.

12. In a coin changer of the character described, a case having a coin passage formed therein; an operating handle; a coin ejector;

and means interconnecting the handle and said ejector, said coin passage being arranged to hold the coins in grouped, tandem, aligned relation in a common plane, said ejector being disposed to force a number of said coins from the end of the aligned group thereof, said coin passage having an ofisetstretch of sufficient length to set off a part of the grouped, aligned coins, said ejector being positioned to act upon the coins in said set off group thereof.

13. In a coin changer of the character described, a case having a coin passage formed therein; an operating handle; a coin ejector; and means interconnecting the handle and said ejector, said coin passage being arranged to hold the coins in grouped, tandem, aligned relation in a common plane, saidejector being disposed to force a number of said coins from the end of the aligned group thereof, said coin passage having an offset stretch of sufficient length to set off a part of the grouped, aligned coins, said ejector being positioned to act upon the coins in said I set off group thereof, said ejector serving to hold the coins in the remaining portion of the coin passage against displacement until at least a portion of those in offset stretch are forced therefrom.

14. In a coin changer of the character described, a case having a coin passage formed therein; an operating handle; a coin ejector; and

means interconnecting thehandle and said ejector, said coin passage'being arranged to hold the coins in grouped, tandem, aligned relation in a common plane, said ejector being disposed to force a number of said coins from the end of the aligned group thereof, said coin passage having an offset stretch of suflicient length to set off a part of the grouped, aligned coins, said ejector being positioned to act upon the coins in said set off group thereof, there being a retaining finger mounted adjacent to and extending into the path of travel of the coins in said offset stretch of the coin passage to yieldably retain the coins therein.

15. In'a mechanical coin changer of the character described, a case havimg a narrow vertical feed chamber formed to hold coins in edge-toedge relation and in the same plane; a hopper for coins to be dispensed, said coins when in the hopper being in random condition; and apparatus for transferring coins from the hopper to said feed chamber and simultaneously arranging the transferred coins in said edge-to-edge relation, said apparatus for transferring the coins from the hopper to said feed chamber including a reciprocable slide; said slide having a transversely inclined edge disposed to direct coins laterally toward the feed chamber from the hopper as the slide moves through its path of travel.

16. In a mechanical coin changer of the character described, a case having a feed chamber and a coin passage formed therein; a hopper in communication with said feed chamber for coins to be dispensed, said coins when in the hopper being in a random condition; and coin controlled means for ejecting coins from the coin passage, said coin controlled means including an ejector element movable throughout a portion of the coin passage for, forcing coins from said portion of the passage.

JOSEPH E. HAGSTROM. 

